Tourism and Hospitality: Environmental Challenges and Responses

This essay examines the significant environmental challenges of global warming and loss of biodiversity that impact the tourism and hospitality industry. It highlights the industry's vulnerability to climate change and its dependence on natural resources. The essay discusses the effects of rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and the loss of species on tourism businesses, particularly those reliant on coastal areas and natural attractions. It explores potential responses from accommodation and attraction managers, including business diversification, investment in sustainable practices like renewable energy and water desalination, and the implementation of strategies to reduce ecological footprints. The essay emphasizes the importance of proactive adaptation and sustainable practices for the long-term viability of the tourism sector in the face of global environmental changes. References are provided to support the arguments presented.

Running Head: ‘Response to global environmental challenges’
‘Response to global environmental challenges’
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‘Response to global environmental challenges’
Tourism and hospitality industry is a major powerhouse in the global economy
through provision of employment and generation of foreign revenue. This may be affected by
the constant change in global environment since it is the major industry that is dependent
climate weather (Gunster, 2017). From sunny coastal beaches to the snowy Rocky
Mountains, each weather conditions are more profitable as much as its predictability.
However, increasing human activity has led to significant change in the global environment
which is worsening down the line. Thanks to our industrial advancement, and the hunger for
resources, we now know that our planet is not a commodity ( Kaján, Tervo-Kankare, and
Saarinen 2015).
The tourism and hospitality industry are taking the biggest hit which has constantly be a no
win for managers who have to incur losses in their businesses. However, they have to
respond appropriately to the significant changes if they want to still remain in business. There
are two major significant global environmental challenges that will affect accommodation
and attraction managers decision-making process, they are global warming and loss of
biodiversity. It is the responsibility of the managers to come up with solutions that will ensure
their business adapt or have countermeasures so as to remain relevant in their target market.
Global warming
Global warming could be described as the unusual rise in temperature of the earth’s
atmosphere as well as its surface due to the greenhouse effect of gases. This is due to the
constant increase in human activities originating from the industrial revolution (Mörner,
2016). There has been a tremendous increase in the earth temperature to approximately 650C
over the past century and is expected to rise in the next coming years due to the increase of
the greenhouse effect. This is the constant growing cycle of gases such as Carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, and methane, which are emitted through increased human activities. These

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gases are trapped in the atmosphere and continue to increase temperature globally (earth
surface and oceans). This results in the melting of ice caps that result to rise in sea levels and
increase in unnatural weather patterns such as flash floods and desertification.
loss of biodiversity
Human action is prompting the termination of species and environments and loss of bio-
decent variety. Eco frameworks, which took a huge number of years to idealize, are at risk
when any species populace is destroying. Equalization of common procedures like the
population is significant to the survival of the eco-framework and human activities debilitate
the same (Bender, Wagg, and van der Heijden, 2016). Another illustration is the obliteration
of coral reefs in the different seas, which bolster the rich marine life (Holden, 2016). Most
businesses in the hotel and hospitality industry rely on biodiversity attraction where tourists
from all over the world visit these attraction sites.in perspective, a good example of the
effects of the environmental challenges in relation to the loss of biodiversity is when the last
world’s male white rhino died a few days ago in Sudan (Bearak,2018). This has instantly
affected the hospitality industry that relied on the white rhino as a tourist attraction. It is up to
such managers experiences such circumstances to respond appropriately to such
consequences of environmental changes.
Managers response to global environmental change
Global warming
Managers whose businesses may be affected by the constant increase in global warming due
to the greenhouse ripple effect should be always be prepared in advance. Hotels and results
that are located along the coastline may be affected heavily through loss of infrastructure in
case of a tsunami or rise in water sea levels. Such a scenario is not new in the western part of
America (Scott, Gössling, Hall and Peeters, 2016). Relocation of these assets in reference to

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climate change is hard as a change in a business environment comes with its perks.
Nevertheless, managers based in such business environment can look for other business
opportunities that can profit the business to counter a loss of properties. Such investment like
water desalination could be successful with the backing of investors and stakeholders
Gössling, 2015). Moreover, managers can identify strategic coastal regions with higher
ground level and construct for future relocation. Managers can also ensure their property
which will cut back to losses in case of volatility in weather patterns that are in most cases
unpredictable and unusual. Going green on energy such as use of solar power will cut back to
the electricity bills that are constantly being increased as a result of climate change.
loss of biodiversity
Managers whose business may be affected due the loss of biodiversity should Implement a
business diversification where they structure their business models to accommodate new
business models in a new business environment. This means that they should go into other
businesses such as artificial parks, water desalination that will generate revenue to counter
losses. This does not mean that they should neglect biodiversity as successful implementation
of program to sustain and reduce the loss of biodiversity could put the accommodation and
attraction business back on track. Thus, could be achieved through the planting of indigenous
plants that could resuscitate the climatic conditions and act as a sanctuary of wildlife
attraction. Reduction of ecological footprint through the management of waste and its
recycling emerging saving strategies such as using solar energy that will increase efficiency
in the business and minimize financial cutbacks (Newbold, et.al, 2015).

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In conclusions, increase in significant change in global environment is crucial to the success
and relevance of the tourism and hospitality industry as they are highly dependent on it. The
industry is taking the biggest hit which has constantly be a no win for managers who have to
incur losses in their businesses (Nicholls and Amelung, 2015). However, they have to
respond appropriately to the significant changes if they want to still remain in business. This
essay has described the two-significant global environmental challenges that managers have
to adapt their business to, they are global warming and loss of biodiversity. Relevant
responses to these challenges such as diversification of business models reduction of
ecological footprints should be taken into account by accommodation and attraction
managers.

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References
Bearak, M. 2018 , Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino, has died, putting his
species on the brink of extinction. [online] Washington Post. Available at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/20/sudan-the-worlds-last-
male-northern-white-rhino-has-died-putting-his-species-on-the-brink-of-extinction/?
utm_term=.819c3637c725 [Accessed 31 Mar. 2018].
Bender, S.F., Wagg, C. and van der Heijden, M.G., 2016. An underground revolution:
biodiversity and soil ecological engineering for agricultural sustainability. Trends in ecology
& evolution, 31(6), pp.440-452.
Gössling, S., 2015. New performance indicators for water management in tourism. Tourism
Management, 46, pp.233-244.
Gunster, S., 2017. This changes everything: Capitalism vs the climate.
Holden, A., 2016. Environment and tourism. Routledge.
Kaján, E., Tervo-Kankare, K. and Saarinen, J., 2015. Cost of adaptation to climate change in
tourism: Methodological challenges and trends for future studies in adaptation. Scandinavian
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(3), pp.311-317.
Mörner, N.A., 2016. Causes and Effects of Climate Change. Journal of Earth Science &
Climate Change, 7(9), p.20.
Newbold, T., Hudson, L.N., Hill, S.L., Contu, S., Lysenko, I., Senior, R.A., Börger, L.,
Bennett, D.J., Choimes, A., Collen, B. and Day, J., 2015. Global effects of land use on local
terrestrial biodiversity. Nature, 520(7545), p.45.
Nicholls, S. and Amelung, B., 2015. Implications of climate change for rural tourism in the
Nordic region. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1-2), pp.48-72.

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Scott, D., Gössling, S., Hall, C.M. and Peeters, P., 2016. Can tourism be part of the
decarbonized global economy? The costs and risks of alternate carbon reduction policy
pathways. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(1), pp.52-72.